Grantee Research Project Results
2002 Progress Report: Community Water Quality Information System for a New and Sustainable Water Supply
EPA Grant Number: R828576Title: Community Water Quality Information System for a New and Sustainable Water Supply
Investigators: Pearthree, Marie S. , Davis, Stephen E. , McGuire, Michael J. , Wierenga, Peter J. , Pepper, Ian L. , Rosen, Jeffrey S. , MacNeill, Elizabeth , Johnson, Freda , Chavez, Kathleen , Cline, Linda , Kotelman, Marleen , Lindsey, Marti , Kaneen, Richard
Current Investigators: Pearthree, Marie S. , Davis, Stephen E. , McGuire, Michael J. , Wierenga, Peter J. , Pepper, Ian L. , Rosen, Jeffrey S. , MacNeill, Elizabeth , Johnson, Freda , Chavez, Kathleen , Mariner, Linda , Kotelman, Marleen , Lindsey, Marti , Kaneen, Richard
Institution: City of Tucson, AZ , Pima County Wastewater Management Department , University of Arizona
Current Institution: City of Tucson, AZ , Arizona Department of Environmental Quality , Kaneen Advertising & Public Relations, Inc. , McGuire Malcolm Pirnie Environmental Consultants , Pima County Health Department , Pima County Wastewater Management Department , Rillito Consulting Group , Technology Planning and Management Corporation , Tucson Unified School District , University of Arizona
EPA Project Officer: Packard, Benjamin H
Project Period: February 1, 2001 through January 31, 2003 (Extended to January 31, 2005)
Project Period Covered by this Report: February 1, 2002 through January 31, 2003
Project Amount: $400,000
RFA: Environmental Monitoring for Public Access and Community Tracking (EMPACT) (2000) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Ecological Indicators/Assessment/Restoration , Water , Air
Objective:
The objective of this research project is to develop time-relevant methods of water resource data collection and reporting to Tucson-area consumers. This project will use on-line monitoring technologies and customer response capabilities not available 6 years ago that will allow consumers to participate in the decision-making process with respect to acceptable household water quality and consumptive choices.
Progress Summary:
Environmental Parameter Monitoring and Measurement. Through consumer surveys and questionnaire responses, the most important water quality issues for Tucson Water customers were determined. This information was used to design the monitoring program to track water quality measures of concern to Tucson Water's (TW) consumers and to address the integration of online monitoring capabilities. The initial monitoring program was launched with the startup of the Clearwater Program in April 2001, and was based on grab sampling at 20 of the locations where online sensors eventually would be located. The first two online monitoring stations were installed and made operational at the treatment and storage facilities receiving the new water supply during Year 1 of the project. TW completed installation of the remaining 20 online monitoring stations in the main distribution system by June 2002. All 22 online monitoring stations were fully operational by August 2002.
Information Management, Processing, and Delivery. Several information management, processing, and delivery activities were accomplished during the second year of the EMPACT grant. In Year 1 of the project, a complete requirements analysis was performed utilizing a storyboard approach to design a Web system to receive, process, and manage the new monitoring program data as either grab or online data streams. A pilot Web-based information system was launched and alpha-tested and a live version of the Web-based system was implemented and beta-tested during the initial 2 months of its implementation. During Year 2 of the project, a series of design modifications were identified and implemented over the next 6-month period, including completion of the methods for transmitting and checking the quality of the data in near-real time and improving the accuracy of how the coliform data were being displayed.
For the conventional information delivery systems, customer service representatives were trained during Year 1 of the project on navigation of the Web-based system to respond quickly and accurately to customer inquiries to specific water quality or water resource information from the Web-based system. Customer service representatives use the Web-based information system to respond to customer inquiries concerning water quality or water resource information. The individual usage by the customer service representatives ranges between 50 percent to less than 1 percent of the time depending on the individual using the system and how quickly the information can be accessed. Continued use of the information collection system tracking the customer service calls concerning water quality provided better management of the calls and/or complaints. Each customer service call was added to the information collection system and mapped on a monthly basis using predefined codes. Mapping of the customer calls and/or complaints was reduced to quarterly, providing a larger data set to review and better determine trends in water quality problems. This data tracking began in May 2001, and continued in 2002. TW's practice of publishing summary water quality information through the bill insert: Your Water Connection was continued but the water quality information was updated based on the water quality parameters identified from the consumer survey conducted during Year 1 of the project. Water quality information of the recharged Colorado River water (Clearwater) was added and published monthly, and a new section was added to the bill insert, Water 101. A brochure describing the project, EMPACT WATER INFO NOW, was prepared and distribution to the community has begun.
Communication. The results of the surveys and the focus group meetings conducted during Year 1 of the project were used to begin developing an outreach program to address the concerns of Hispanic, Native American, and medical communities with respect to water resources and water quality. An Hispanic OutReach Coordinator was selected to formulate an action plan. In addition, a comprehensive communciations action plan was completed by the EMPACT team to effectively address the multiple aspects of reaching the community and specific community groups. A prototype of a newsletter was developed that includes features such as "Partners in Focus" and "Water Quality is Important." Tucson Water continued coordinating outreach activities with the EMPACT partners to improve communication of water quality and quantity throughout the Tucson area. The project partners' activities include distribution of the brochure EMPACT WATER INFO NOW and the activities below.
· Tucson Unified School District assisted in piloting one session for third grade teachers in TW's 2002 Summer Internship Program.
· Arizona Department of Environmental Quality continued to update the online compliance report every quarter for TW’s main distribution system.
· The Water Resources Research Center wrote and published an article on the completion of the installation of the remaining 20 online monitoring stations and the availability of near real-time data to the community on the Web site.
· The Southwest Environmental Health Sciences Center developed health-related information on chlorine versus diseases, pH, sodium, total dissolved solids, and arsenic to improve understanding of drinking water quality issues among children and the general public.
Future Activities:
During the next year we will: (1) summarize the water quality monitoring results in an interim report on Tucson Water’s implementation of the Clearwater project and customer response to the new water supply; (2) complete the merging of the two interactive maps into one map and link to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Web-based environmental information program, Window to My Environment, in collaboration with the EPA; (3) develop a health Web page linked to the appropriate EMPACT partners' sites and the Water Health Connection Web Site for physicians; (4) continue development of specific Hispanic, Native American, and medical communities outreach programs, including delivery mechanisms by implementation of the EMPACT Communications Action Plan; (5) assess differences in public awareness levels regarding Tucson’s water resources and water quality issues; (6) assess if the objectives have been achieved for the project; and (7) continue developing additional water quality information and educational materials for distribution to the community, including a series of brochures detailing various water quality constituents that are of particular interest to the community.
Journal Articles:
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 77 publications for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
drinking water, groundwater, monitoring, analytical, southwest, AZ, community-based, sustainable development, Clearwater, EMPACT, partner., RFA, Scientific Discipline, Health, Geographic Area, Water, Ecosystem Protection/Environmental Exposure & Risk, POLLUTANTS/TOXICS, Environmental Chemistry, Health Risk Assessment, State, Arsenic, Monitoring/Modeling, Susceptibility/Sensitive Population/Genetic Susceptibility, Environmental Monitoring, genetic susceptability, Water Pollutants, Drinking Water, EPA Region, EMPACT, Region 9, monitoring, disinfection byproducts, sensitive populations, community-based approach, disinfection by-products, health risks, exposure and effects, public information, ethnic, exposure, other - risk assessment, water supply, community water quality information system, Arizona (AZ), treatment, community outreach, water quality, outreach and education, dietary exposure, DBP exposure, groundwater, information management, real-time monitoringRelevant Websites:
http://www.ci.tucson.az.us/water Exit
http://www.adeq.state.az.us/environ/water/compliance/empact.html Exit
http://instech.tusd.k12.az.us/Science/SciencekitsK5.html Exit
http://www.ag.arizona.edu/azwater/ Exit
http://swehsc.pharmacy.arizona.edu/coep/index.html Exit
http://www.co.pima.az.us/health/epirpt.htm Exit
http://www.wwm.co.pima.az.us Exit
http://www.hispanicchambertucson.org Exit
http://wqc.arizona.edu Exit
http://www.cityoftucson.org/dnr/ Exit
Progress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.